The Thrill of Conference Packing

It’s time to pack for Thrillerfest, the big mystery writer’s conference in NY this upcoming week, and I’m once again procrastinating. Packing is such a stressful process, especially when you feel out of your element, that I thought I’d use this time while the laundry is spinning to offer some tips. Cathi’s blog on Setting Goals was great and I’m inspired by her blogs on organization and motivation! I’m working on getting the preparation for trying to sell my book as together as possible, but I must confess I am the less organized of the duo, for sure! I can, however, pack a good suitcase. It could stem from my time as a flight attendant … or possibly my opposition to clothes shopping that leaves me little to choose from. Whatever the reason, I hope to alleviate your fears about conference packing. I’ll start with the basic skills then move on to the specifics for writing conferences.

First, start with a clean slate. I try to pack immediately after doing all my laundry, and I wear my rattiest clothes while doing so. That way I have everything to choose from. Next, I check the weather for where I’m going, to get an idea of what area of the wardrobe I’m drawing from. (In my case, if it is a cold climate, I may have to pull out the underbed bin that contains my seldom used winter items.) I then make a list of the days and what events happen each day. From there I make a numbered item list to guide me when I search my closet for the perfect outfits. Cathi would say that this data would be perfect for her white board and following her lead I will use mine.  (Plus, I don’t get much snail mail anymore, so there are no old envelopes lying around to scribble on.)

Here it is:

Now I’m ready for the real work. Try not to overthink things. My first conference was an eye opener! I really think for writers, anything goes. I prefer to make a good impression, so I brush my hair and leave my slippers in the room, but you would be surprised. We writers are introverts and non-judgmental, for the most part. If you are doing a day full of workshops then I would say, be comfortable. The conference rooms always seem to be freezing to me, no matter the outside temperature, so I suggest layers. For those of you who run hot … this works for you as well. For any type of evening or pitching event, I opt for a more professional attire. I understand that agents are primarily interested in my writing, but I don’t want my appearance to be a red-flag for the agent to worry that I can’t represent at a book-signing. (I dream big!) Also, at some conferences, they like to do theme parties, so you may want to pack any dress-up items in case you want to participate. Thankfully, Thrillerfest doesn’t have one of those because I’m pretty sure it would look like the banquet at the Haunted Mansion. Finally, I throw in essentials in case I get down time for a workout or dip in the hotel pool. All this gets rolled up to avoid wrinkles (I don’t iron), loaded into my carry-on (I don’t like waiting for checked bags), and topped with my quart-size baggie of under 3 oz. liquids (I don’t like getting detained).

And, as I always tell myself when I think I’ve forgotten something, there’s always a Walmart nearby … or in the case of New York City, I think Amazon delivers in an hour.